Thoughts on Ward Choir during the summer

I figured since we're taking the summer off, I should do something for my church calling.  So I've been updating the fabulous "Preachin' to the Choir" blog on the pieces we did this past "semester."  It would probably be more effective if I got them done before we sang so my ward choir members could have a little background info on the pieces, but, to be honest, I don't think most of my ward choir members even read this, so maybe this will be helpful for another ward choir director somewhere else in the world who happens to stumble upon my ward choir musings.

I was thinking today, that choir director is probably the only calling in the church that you can just take the summer off.  I'll take it!

In case anyone is questioning if that is a good thing or not, let me tell you that I think it definitely is in our ward.  Last summer I tried to rehearse all the way through and it proved BEYOND frustrating for me.  Some weeks we'd have 5 people show up, so I'd get out something really simple to work on, and some weeks we'd have 25 people, so I'd be scrambling for something a little more challenging.  And sometimes we'd have all sopranos and one bass, and what do you even do with that?  I know that it says in the handbook to have the ward choir perform at least 1-2 times a month, and we definitely do that during the school year.  But during the summer when people are traveling, there is just no consistency.  It makes it very difficult to plan a rehearsal that isn't wasting everyone's time.

Besides, I have it on authority of Rosalind Hall (BYU Men's Choir Conductor).  She has been her ward choir director for years (how would it be to be in HER ward choir!?!)  and has observed that people like to be a part of something with an end product.  So in the Fall our "end product" is the Christmas program, and we start rehearsing for that in August/September, along with other pieces that we perform along the way.  In the Spring, the "end product" is the Easter program.  It's not technically the end, as we prepare music to present through the month of May, but you get the idea.  And now we are taking June and July completely off, and will reconvene in August.  Hopefully everyone will be excited to sing together again after a nice long break.  I know I need the break as much as anyone to sort of regroup and choose new music and get my focus back.

So Happy Summer!

A Place in His Arms

On April 29th, we had a special music presentation with the ward choir and volunteers from the Senior Primary.  I love when we invite the primary children to sing with us for a couple of reasons--1) It significantly boosts our ward choir attendance, because usually at least one of their parents comes with them, ;)  and 2) There is just such a sweet spirit when the primary children sing.

We sang "A Place in His Arms" by Sally Deford and it was perhaps the best thing we've sung the entire year so far.  I still have people comment to me how much they enjoyed that song (and it's June as I'm writing this.)  For the first verse, I asked my daughter Daphne to sing a solo, (she did BEAUTIFULLY.) Then all the primary children sang the 2nd verse with the women oohing behind them.  The third verse started out with the choir a cappella.

Then came the 3rd verse chorus, which was one of my favorite moments of the piece.  It started with the women in unison, then added the men, then we added the children on the words "There was room in His arms for his little ones then, there's a place in His arms for me!"  It was really powerful, how it kept building and building.  (I'm getting chills just thinking about it, and I don't think it's just because I'm sitting by an air vent . . .)

Then on the last line, Daphne sang by herself "There's a place in His arms for me," while the choir oohed behind her.  I don't know if everyone internalized the reasoning behind that, but what it meant to me is that the Savior's love is for everyone (everyone singing "There was room in His arms for His little ones then . . .")  but somehow, it is also VERY personal and individual.

This piece has a wonderfully tender message about the Savior's love for each one of us.  I told the primary children that even though none of us were alive at the time of the Savior's ministry on earth, and none of us can remember what it feels like to get a hug from Jesus, if they would pay attention to the way they felt as they sang this song, the Holy Ghost could teach them how it feels to be encircled by Jesus' arms.  As I looked at those sweet children while they were singing, I saw one little girl with tears in her eyes, and I knew she'd been paying attention.

A Place in His Arms

Suffer the children to come unto me,

Jesus taught His disciples of old

Then he took every child in His loving embrace

And He blessed them so long ago

Bring me your little ones, Jesus said

For of such shall my kingdom be

There was room in His arms for his little ones then

There's a place in His arms for me

Oh how the Savior loves each little child

How He smiles when I seek Him in faith

Then He gathers me close in His loving embrace

And He blesses me day by day

Bring me your little ones, Jesus said

For of such shall my kingdom be

There was room in His arms for his little ones then

There's a place in His arms for me

So, like the children who sought Him of old,

I will come to the Holy One

I will call on His name, I will trust in the grace

Of the Father's beloved Son

Humble my heart like a little child

For of such shall His kingdom be

There was room in His arms for his little ones then

There's a place in His arms for me

There's a place in His arms for me